Top Scholar

Chapter 434: If you don’t do what is right, you are not brave!

The following day, the scholars continued their journey north by boat. They spent their days warming themselves by the fire on the boat and discussing their essays, and their evenings staying at inns where they listened to Zhu Zhishan boast. They were quite happy every day and did not feel tired at all.

In the blink of an eye, the ship sailed out of Yangzhou Prefecture and into Huai'an Prefecture. That night, it stopped at Qingjiang Post Station, a key point in the Grand Canal transport. The post station manager had already received instructions from the Huai'an Prefect, and all the hospitality and supplies were very well provided.

As everyone was gathered around the stove, warming themselves by the fire, drinking tea, and waiting for dinner, servants came in one after another to report that a courier had brought some merchants to visit.

"What is it? Tell them to come over." The scholars, having nothing better to do, agreed to meet them.

A short while later, the attendant brought in several merchants who were dressed reasonably well and carrying various gifts.

As soon as they entered, they bowed and greeted the esteemed scholars.

"What brings you gentlemen here?" Zhu Zhishan asked with a smile.

The merchants put down their gifts and said with obsequious smiles, "Sir, we have a favor to ask of you."

"Want to use our little yellow flag?" Zhu Zhishan knew exactly what was going on.

"Yes, yes, this gentleman is clearly an expert." A round-faced merchant wearing a square turban said with a smile, "Huai'an Pass is just ahead. I beg some gentleman to have mercy and protect my cargo ship."

"And mine."

“Mine,” the other merchants quickly echoed.

It turned out they were there to invite a scholar to ride on a cargo ship. Each of them patted their chests, guaranteeing the best food and wine they could enjoy along the way, and even offering to pay for the fare—the highest bidder offered a whopping ten taels of silver!

This was because when candidates took the imperial examinations, in addition to using the official boats provided by the post stations, they could also use civilian boats.

These civilian vessels were required to fly apricot-yellow flags that read "By Imperial Decree to Take the Examination," and other civilian vessels were required to give way during their voyage. They were also exempt from toll fees when passing through locks.

Most importantly, customs officials will release passengers unconditionally when they pass through the cash checkpoint, without any inspection or tax exemption.

So, once you become a successful candidate in the imperial examinations, good fortune really does keep falling from the sky; it's just that these newly appointed successful candidates don't quite realize it yet...

Zhu Zihe frowned upon hearing this. "The imperial court has set a tax rate of one-thirtieth. Is that considered high? You all want to evade even this small amount of tax?"

"Sir, you are unaware of the situation!" the merchants complained bitterly. "Where can you find a place with a tax rate of 10% these days? It's already risen to 15%! At the end of the year, the customs officials are personally overseeing things, and they've managed to raise the tax rate to 10%, while also frequently overestimating the value of goods and imposing arbitrary penalties!"

"If we let them slaughter us, we'll lose everything; but if we fail, our whole family will starve!" The merchants pleaded, kneeling and kowtowing.

"Please, gentlemen, have mercy and lend us the yellow flag to save our lives!"

Some people even raised the price to twenty taels of silver...

This piqued the interest of many, who turned to their godfather, wondering if he would agree.

"Don't look at me, you decide for yourselves." Su Lu wouldn't make the decision for them. Whether it's taking advantage of someone or doing them a favor, it all depends on their own thoughts.

To avoid embarrassing his adopted sons, he went out for a stroll, but it's unclear who eventually agreed.

~~
When they set off the next day, several people were missing from the official ship, including Zhu Zhishan…

After traveling two or three miles, the boats were blocked off. A hundred or so civilian boats were crammed together, filling the already narrow river surface.

Now the candidates' priority passage was useless, and they had no choice but to obediently wait in line.

While everyone else huddled in the cabin, warming themselves by the fire and reading, Su Lu stood at the bow of the boat, staring intently at the water ahead.

On the stone platform of the customs post, several eunuchs wearing steel-forked hats stood, the leader dressed in a red robe, reclining on a folding chair covered with brocade cushions. At his feet stood a dozen or so guards with knives at their waists, staring menacingly at the fat sheep on the river.

"Listen up, everyone! According to the new regulations, the tax rate is 10%! Those who underreport the value of their goods will be punished double! If they can't pay, their ships will be seized and confiscated!" The hoarse voice pierced through the morning mist, making the merchants' heads buzz.

"let's start!"

With a hoarse voice giving the order, the customs officers set up the ramps and, led by the tax collectors, jumped onto their respective targets.

Chickens and dogs immediately started jumping around on the river...

A silk ship.

The tax collector threw the tax bill at the merchant's face: "Hangzhou silk that costs five taels a bolt in the capital, you dare to declare it as three taels? Pay the difference plus a penalty, a total of fifty taels!"

The cargo owner immediately kowtowed and begged, "Sir, spare my life! I can't even earn fifty taels per trip!"

"Who told you to conceal this? You've got what you deserve!" the tax collector sneered. "Pay up now!"

"I don't have that much money! All my capital is tied up in the goods!" The owner of the goods burst into tears.

"No money? Confiscate the goods!" The tax collector waved his hand, and the laborers excitedly began moving the goods. The owner tried to stop them, but was kicked to the ground; wailing and pleading were useless…

On the grain ship next to it.

The boat owner, also unable to pay the fine, had his boat impounded. He refused to disembark, and was subsequently thrown into the icy river by several constables.

When he finally scrambled ashore, his face was purple from the cold. The man lay shivering on the muddy riverbank, his eyes blazing with fury…

The scenes on other ships were equally appalling. In order to pay taxes and fines, merchants had to hand over their last copper coin, or even the jewelry on their wives' bodies.

A cold wind swept through, and cries and shouts created a chaotic scene that filled one with despair.

Only merchant ships flying apricot-yellow flags were spared from the harassment of tax collectors. What the scholars were clearly doing to gain an advantage was now being portrayed as an act of benevolence, protecting the common people…

No one dared to disturb Su Lu's official boat, but as he watched this suffocating scene, his heart bled. By this time, his fellow students had also been drawn out by the commotion outside, their eyes bloodshot and their teeth clenched in fury.

"Gentlemen," Su Lu said in a deep voice, "as the sage said, 'To see what is right and not do it is cowardice!' Such evil deeds are right before our eyes, how can we stand idly by?"

"Of course not!" all the classmates exclaimed in unison. "Brother, what do you suggest we do?!"

"Take your flags and get to each ship!" Su Lu ordered. "Protect everyone as they pass through the checkpoint."

"Good!" The students were filled with enthusiasm. They called their servants and pageboys, grabbed their fire-branded apricot-yellow flags, and prepared to go down to protect the civilian boats.

But with at least a hundred cargo ships here, a dozen or so scholars are still a drop in the ocean...

"Qian Ning!" Su Lu shouted.

"Hey, godfather, I'm here!" Qian Ning trotted over to Su Lu's side and said with a smile, "What do you need, old man?"

"I don't care what methods you use, just make them stop robbing," Su Lu said in a deep voice. "They should honestly pay taxes according to the imperial court's regulations."

"Godfather, how could I possibly have that kind of influence?" Qian Ning said with a wry smile, "What eunuch listens to the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

"You'll have to figure out a way to deal with Eunuch Zhang yourself," Su Lu said with a sneer.

"No, no, no..." Qian Ning quickly waved his hand and said, "I actually have a way, but you have to agree first."

"What method?" Su Lu asked.

Qian Ning then leaned close to his ear and whispered a few words.

"how is this possible?"

"Try it if you don't believe me, you won't lose anything anyway," Qian Ning said with a smile.

“Okay,” Su Lu agreed, “Go ahead and shout.”

"Hmm!" Qian Ning nodded, then took a deep breath, cupped his hands around his mouth, and shouted towards the customs platform:
"You damned eunuch, Sichuan's Su Jieyuan has ordered you to take your little bastard and get the hell out of here!"

"Holy crap..." The other students gasped in unison. This guy had really angered the customs eunuch; even the apricot-yellow flag was useless now.

Sure enough, the servants on the opposite stone platform started cursing and swearing, and some even rolled up their sleeves as if to tear Qian Ning's mouth apart.

"Can't you speak more politely?" Su Lu covered his face with his hands in embarrassment. He felt he had still suffered a loss... If the other party ignored him, it would be too embarrassing.

“Sorry, godfather, we’re all rough men with eunuchs, so this is how we have to communicate.” Qian Ning smiled confidently, “The reactions of the people below are not important, let’s see how that sitting eunuch reacts.”

As the two were talking, the eunuch on the chair suddenly stood up, kicked the servants' buttocks hard, and then shouted in a shrill voice towards the river:

"Get out! Damn it, get out!"

Having said that, he led his eunuchs and servants away without looking back...

The tax collectors and laborers on the river looked at each other in bewilderment, then quickly put down what they were doing and slunk away.

"Is our godfather's current reputation enough to intimidate the eunuchs?" Zhu Zihe and the others were equally dumbfounded.

"Don't ask me, I don't know what happened either," Su Lu said speechlessly.

"Hehe, Godfather is strong but doesn't know it." Qian Ning chuckled softly, "The person who is most afraid of you getting into trouble now is Eunuch Liu. He has strictly ordered all his disciples and followers along the canal not to provoke you."

"Why?" Su Lu was still puzzled, not quite understanding Liu Jin's thought process.

“Because, Godfather Zhang beat up Eunuch Liu,” Qian Ning explained. “So now that you’re in trouble, no matter who did it, it will be blamed on Eunuch Liu.”

"And His Majesty just ordered Eunuch Liu to spare my godfather." He paused, then said slowly, "Eunuch Liu may not care what the world thinks, but he cares far too much about the Emperor's opinion!"

"I see..." Su Lu finally understood why Zhang Yong had beaten Liu Jin in front of the emperor; it was to prevent Liu Jin from retaliating.

The key to its application truly lies in one's own mind!

Learn it, it's very profound...

~~
As they spoke, the ship owners, cargo owners, and merchants from all the boats gathered around the official ship, holding up generous gifts and kneeling to express their deep gratitude to Su Jieyuan.

"Please rise, everyone, there's no need for that." Su Lu quickly cupped his hands to the crowd and said loudly, "I appreciate your kindness. Everyone, hurry back to the border and don't forget to pay the tax of thirty taels at a time to avoid future trouble."

"Don't worry, Su Jieyuan, we will definitely pay our taxes, otherwise we won't be able to escape the next checkpoint either." The group thanked each other profusely before taking their leave.

This delay meant that the official ship did not pass through the Huai'an customs office until noon.

Zhu Zhishan and the others also returned.

After boarding the ship, everyone else was a little embarrassed, but Zhu Zhishan still shamelessly smiled and said, "Brother, I have elderly parents and young children to support, so I just take the opportunity to earn some extra money."

“Brother Zhishan did the right thing.” Su Lu sighed and said, “I was naive. Today I have finally seen the true meaning of ‘oppressive government is more ferocious than a tiger’.”

"It's almost the end of the year, they need to make a quick buck to go back to Beijing for the New Year. They're not usually this outrageous," Qian Ning said sheepishly.

"Does their desire to celebrate the New Year mean they can't let ordinary people live?" Zhu Zihe said indignantly.

“If you civil officials could collect taxes, would they need to do this?” Qian Ning retorted.

P.S. The next chapter will be available tomorrow morning. Please vote with your monthly tickets!
(End of this chapter)